Subaru reveals its platform of the future

Subaru has stripped down to its underpinnings and revealed the bare bones of its future model line-up.

The Japanese car maker has released details of its all-new Global Platform, the skeleton that will be shared across its entire range of next-generation vehicles which it claims offers improved dynamics and comfort as well as offering the "world's highest levels of safety."

More importantly, the new structure has been designed from the outset to be capable of housing conventional petrol engines as well as being suited to hybrids, plug-ins and full electric vehicles.

The single design architecture is similar in concept to other major car makers which utilise a basic floorpan, suspension components, electric systems and safety elements to create multiple vehicle ranges.

Subaru says the new Global Platform is capable of hybrid and full electric vehicles in the future Photo: Supplied

The Subaru Global Platform is expected to form the basis of the brand's all-new Impreza, Forester, Liberty and Outback models. With Subaru saying in a statement that it will be "used for all the company's next-generation vehicles" it places a question mark on whether a follow-up to the popular BRZ sports coupe, which was jointly produced with Toyota for its 86 twin, will be created.

Whatever the case may be, Subaru is promising a dramatic improvement in refinement, quietness and safety with its other models, which have been previewed by various concept cars over the last 18 months.

It says the new platform is between 70-100 percent more rigid than current models, which will have a direct increase in the dynamic responsiveness of vehicles as well as improving the suppression of road and wind noise.

The new chassis has a 5mm lower centre of gravity and, thanks to greater use of hot-pressed steel plates in the floorpan and other areas, it improves crash energy absorption by up to 40 per cent.

Subaru also claims that developing its multi-model platform "makes it possible to use limited development personnel and facilities efficiently to develop a diverse range of models and to direct the resulting savings into areas that can make our products more competitive."